Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Hello Tuesday!
I know it isn't Monday and well....I'm a tad off schedule this week but we're dealing with that.
It is the week before Thanksgiving so of course everyone has about a zillion schedule changes on top of our usual chaos and then add in the second most stressful holiday known to Americans, and you get this. A Monday post on Tuesday.
Just go with it.

What's that Quote?

" The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest."

William Blake

I love this quote and also this photo.

For me, it really tells and shows the true meaning of being a thankful receiver. This photo makes my heart see how very blessed we all are. How this family, this meal, probably means more to them than we could understand.

If we focus on the conditions of this home and the clothes they are wearing, or even just how cramped they look; we probably are thinking..."Oh, how sad." or " Look how poor they are."

Those things are probably true. But, I see this.

Look how many children they have been blessed with.

Look at the clean hair cuts.

Do you see the mother and father...together? As a family!

Do you see the feast before them?

Do you see them looking across the table with mouths full and smiling at their sibling?

I can imagine the pride this man has inside for what he has provided his family on this day.

He definitely bears a plentiful harvest.

True it may only be one meal, one day, but sometimes that is all it takes. To truly be a thankful receiver.

I grew up being taught to always be thankful for everything that we had.

To some, it may not have been much, or even enough.

Sure, there were things we lacked and things we pined for that never came, but we were always thankful for the blessings that we did receive.

My Mamaw told us, "We never knew we were poor, because all our neighbors had just as little as us."

When she was growing up in the mountains, there was no such thing as convenience. Everything you had, you grew, raised, earned or worked for. Not much was unappreciated or that you weren't grateful to have and receive.

If you had extra, you gave it to someone that needed it. You gave and shared and you were thankful when the task was returned.

I grew up with these amazing values and ways. We may not have had a fancy meal or money to buy one, but if we had extra food...or even if there wasn't extra, our table was full.

We had family, friends, even neighbors to share our blessings with.

I think today we get so wrapped up in the "Keeping up with the Joneses' " that we forget what blessings we do have.

We lack the ability to be thankful receivers because we have become so engrossed in the next thing we want. The newer, faster, better of everything!

As parents especially, we have got to stop this, now!

We are raising our children to be UNgrateful.

They don't understand what a true blessing is. They can't grasp the concept that it isn't happening or they aren't getting it.

They see it on TV, magazines, online, on their phones. Whatever "it" is. They expect it because it is available. And all too often we will sacrifice to get it for them. Just to have "it" forgotten or unwanted in no time!

We are wasteful, not thankful receivers.

Let's stop this! Let's make our children thankful receivers today!

How can you show your children to be a thankful receiver?

Please, share your stories. Share your ideas!

Let's work together to make a change this Thanksgiving and bear our own plentiful harvest!!!

E is absolutely in love with it. She wakes up everyday wanting to do her "letter school".

She has even bribed her sisters to play and she can be the teacher and they are her "assistants"(students).

I love that she can just jump right over and get into her writing! No prompting, no waiting to have her work printed or sorted out.

I have found her "working" on and off instead of wanting her show on or wanting the tablet to have cartoons.

It really is great!

We have started working on her name. Well, part of it, or her nickname. Ele, pronounced just like the letter, L. She does good with E and l, but the little e has been a challenge. We either get a circle or some weird squiggle, but it's a start!

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Let me tell you, it was very exciting! My mom and I signed up together and shared a booth/table.

It was at a local church that my best friend happens to attend and work at. This was actually their first craft fair in over twenty years.

I have to say it was a huge success for them and a great experience for us. The atmosphere and friendly people made it such a great first experience. They are even talking about having it twice a year now. Once in the Spring and again next Autumn.

I learned a few tips from fellow crafters about set up, pricing and expectations. also, I've found some creative ways, over on Pinterest to improve my display table and make printable tags or labels.

I even made a little over $40! So, not too bad for my first show!

Crochet Pattern

Okay, I finally accomplished tried to complete an actual pattern. I mean all the way through...from start to finish!

Monday, November 6, 2017

Where to begin?...
There are so many things I want to say. So much I know I will forget to put into this or won't know how to type it so that it is understood.

I can't apologize for not getting any posts out last week. I just didn't have it in me.
Today, I think I am ready to get it out and move forward...I think.
This is so hard for me to begin and I have no idea where it will end.Here is the quote for today:

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."

Roger Caras

Last week our sweet fur baby passed away...
I won't say "dog" because she was so much more than just a dog, or a pet.
She was our baby. Our little furry friend, companion, snuggle love. She was a sibling to our children. She was the constant to us all. Always there, underfoot, begging with that "sad puppy dog face" for attention, a treat, to go out, or to be rubbed in her special spot above her hip.

This quote is so true.
If you are a dog person, or any animal you prefer, they can make your life feel whole.
We got our Pepper in 2001, when she was just a spunky little 5 month old beagle. Our oldest daughter was just 3 years old. From the time she came into our family and into our home, we felt a little more complete. Our daughter had a constant playmate, a protector and someone to snuggle her at night.
We felt so much joy and love for all that she gave us.
After two more daughters, countless friends and family, Pepper naturally became everyone's baby. She was so sweet and easy mannered. She was a perfect fit for our growing family.

She never bit anyone and would only become "aggressive" if she felt someone was in danger or afraid. She had this high bark with the low growl following. Her warning to back off her people.
She hated mailmen or woman and anyone who wore a hat that obscured her view of your whole face.
As she grew and got older her paced slowed, but she never turned down a good snuggle or scratching.
Her favorite treats were the bacon flavored strips and any bread that got tossed her way.
She loved to roam around outside and sniff at EVERYTHING.
She was also a funny, modest girl. she would never "do her business" if you watched or stayed outside with her. She had to slip around, out of sight.
She loved bath time and would flop right down as if to say "I'm ready, pamper me."
She snored! Almost as loud as my husband. LOL
We would be sitting watching TV or something and all of a sudden we'd hear her let out a long snore.
It was the cutest thing. Her whole body would shake each time.

There are so many memories and moments that we have to remember her. To look back and be so very thankful for all the 16 years we had with her. It definitely is hard and we are trying to take it one day at a time.
D1 had to call into work. She works at a store that allows customers to bring in their pets, so she was very upset her first day back. Seeing everyone with their dogs.
D2 lost her perfect attendance...on award day. She went to school but didn't make it all day. She has mostly been quiet and kept to her room all weekend.
D3 has woken up every single morning and said "You know Pepper deed(died)? Jesus came and taked her to his house."

They are each dealing with it differently and we are trying to help them through, while dealing with our own loss.
I'm not sure what else to say. The hurt is real. It sucks.
I miss my girl. I miss my fur love.

Monday, October 30, 2017

What Lessons we can learn!
I am determined to make this Monday productive! I am beyond blessed! I woke up refreshed and motivated to be more today. I am feeling so much better, thanks to antibiotics; and I am antsy to be productive today!
I hate feeling down and unable to get things accomplished.
Too much time to think, plan, wish I was actually...doing!

This quote made me think...

What lessons have I learned from other's errors/mistakes?

Well, a lot actually!

I think that is a part of life. Everyday, whether it be from our parents teaching us or even something we read about or hear on the news. We are constantly learning about a mistake someone has made.

Hopefully, we will learn from them.

I see and hear so many stories about mothers or by mothers who have made mistakes. Some may be serious, some may just be an inconvenience but they learned the hard way.

I, personally, thank these women. Without them sharing and exposing their mistakes, so many others may never even know the mistakes they are making.

A Few of My Momma Mistakes....

(Some examples may be considered opinions. That is perfectly fine. I am not claiming to be any sort of expert in this department.)

1) Yelling...too much

I'm honestly not going to say, it should never be done. It is something that I feel can be used as a way to get an immediate reaction, when needed.

Although if it becomes the norm or a habit, it will inadvertently cause you to raise a "Yeller". They learn this is the way to get what they want, attention, actions from others, etc.

2) Trying to do it all

Ain't no momma got time for that! That is the hard truth. We try to do it all...all the time. We overwhelm ourselves with trying to be involved and getting the kids involved in every single thing that pops up. Plays, sports, parties, festivals, play dates, church, karate, cook outs, dance recitals, girl scouts....it seems to never end! And you know why? because we keep committing to these things! We have to learn how to...

3)Say "NO!!!"

We can do that! It is perfectly okay to say, "No, we just can't do that." or "You can't go." or "We can't afford that." Years from now,(hopefully) they won't be on Dr. Phil because you didn't let them go out with Susie and see that new movie on the same day as the church craft fair you had committed to 6 months ago.

4)Don't buy the kid's meal!

It's a trap! I can't speak for every momma, but personally, we have wasted, I'd say $1,000s on kids meals. 3 kids x 19 years of over sized, over cooked, over priced...wasted food that only gets brought home to be forgotten in the fridge until weeks later. They never eat it! My Mamaw always had this saying, "It always tastes better off of Momma's plate." and that is true. 99% of the time, my girls ended up helping me eat my meal, rather than their own.

5)Sleep while they sleep

Now this one, I can go both ways. Yes, we need our rest too. It can be wise to rest while they are, but I don't necessarily mean go to sleep. Every day and every momma is different. Some people just can't go to sleep mid-afternoon. Take this time to rest. Do something relaxing you couldn't do with the little awake. Take a bath, read a book, call a friend, drink the coffee HOT, eat the cupcake!

I really wanted to keep this post light and non controversial. I hope that you enjoy and maybe learn from a few of my mistakes.

I've had her do a few worksheets. Mostly, tracing and learning to write the actual letter. I also am having her try to think of words that begin with that letter and really emphasize the T sound. She did catch on that Tuck(Wonder Pets character) sounds like Trema(me). She got really excited that she knew that was right!

I am still printing off the Halloween tracing worksheets. She is working her way through those on and off this week.

We also have the pattern and mix-match pages. All of these printables can be found online, mostly for free. Be sure to follow my Pinterest board all about: Preschool Activities and Resources!

I have found so many wonderful, fun, cheap and always educational ideas.

Here is one of the great ones I found over at Planning Playtime:

Little E hasn't done this one yet, but it is in her folder!

This week seems like we didn't get much done...or at least nothing new. We seem to be working over things a little longer. I want her to really "get" it(whatever that is) before we move ahead. I don't want her to feel rushed or have her trying to learn too much at once. And also, I'm trying to keep it fun and stick to the theme.

I hope y'all have had an awesome and productive week. Blessing for a great weekend!

Keep checking back to see what we've been up to!

Are you ready for Halloween? or just over it and ready for Halloween to be over?

I'm sort of in the middle. I love the kids excitement but it's really just a Hallmark holiday around here.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

**This post contains affiliate links. Which means if you make a purchase through the link provided, I will receive a small commission( Coffee Cash) at no cost to you.**

Did you see that? Up there! My very first affiliate link!!

*squeals*

Y'all know it is usually a chaotic mess around here. As you can tell by the title of this post, today is no different! I have been super busy all week, and it''s only Wednesday! Shwooo!

Crochet business...

This is a year round hobby and I always have someone(usually one of the offspring) wanting me to make something. Something someone else has or something they've seen online. I always have some project sitting around in a bag waiting to be worked on or completed. I seriously could make a boat load of coffee cash, if I charged my kids!

I love finding new, EASY projects that work up quickly and I can play around with and try new colors, techniques, etc. So, I found these super cute little crochet hair bows over on Pinterest!

Here is the free pattern for the Sassy Bows. And here are mine and my adorable little model!

Seriously! Aren't they adorable?!?!?

I have the Church Craft Fair coming up less than two weeks! I think I can probably get 20 of these made by then. I'm doing a bunch of orange and black ones in different sizes. Yea, I'm in the Cincy area. Who Dey!....Not my preference but hey, they sell! The craft fair is after Halloween, so I am focusing on Christmas or really everyday colors, crafts, etc.

Wow, and I was reminded(thanks to FB posts) that Christmas is exactly two months from today!!!

This momma has got to get up on her game! I don't do the whole "Black Friday" hoopla. Not my scene! I have enough craziness in my life.

With that being said, my next topic is...

Christmas and Affiliate Links...

I admit I am getting a little excited about the holiday season rolling in but to be honest, I am SUPER stoked that I got my very first ever affiliate marketing gig today!!!!

**Super squealing**

Y'all this is huge for me! (Blog Geek)

Brittany over at TheEastSideShop posted a link wanting new affiliates to promote her amazing shop!

The very first item I saw, I immediately wanted! They sell, modern, positive, simple apparel.

Monday, October 23, 2017

Here we are, Monday.
You came in dreary and wet. What a start to the week.

"So much of who we are is where we have been."

William Langewiesche

Today's quote really "got me" today.
At first, with this gloomy weather, and honestly my mood to match; I had intended this post to be...darker? I'm not sure. Maybe just a way to put thought to paper(or type) of how I feel most days.
As I sat here trying to organize my cluttered, chaos inside(while the ramblings of life are going on upstairs) I was struggling to get out what I thought I wanted to say.
Then, He showed up and it was so much clearer.
I don't want to write only about the bad. The negative. The struggles.How depressing is that?
Yes, those parts of me are there too. And yes, they have helped make me who I am. But, there is so much more. So many good, wonderful blessings. So many miracles I alone have witnessed. Those places have contributed just as much into who I am!

I chose this picture,
to show her...me, walking away or looking, searching. As I said, originally, I was focusing on the harder things that have gotten me here, to who I am. I often feel like I need to get away, go away. Just to be somewhere else. I hate feeling stuck. Feeling like there is no escape. From myself, my circumstances, from people. I think we all feel like that to some degree. We need to go somewhere else, to say we've been there.

Where I have been...
I have been a thousand places. Not geographically, but spiritually, mentally. Life has taken me to many places. It has made me see many things, many people. I believe we take a little of each person we meet and each place we've been. It truly becomes a part of who we are. Who we become.

I have been the girl who feels alone, never quite fitting in.
It has shown me to love myself, even when no one else even likes me.
It has taught me that solitude can have it's perks too. Quiet, peace, time to pray.
It can also be lonely and empty feeling.

I have been the teen mother.
It has shown me people are prejudice everywhere.
It has shown me you have become a statistic, like it or not.
It has shown me your every decision is questioned or ridiculed.
It has made me A MOTHER!
It has given me my most precious gifts. Joy I never knew I could have. It has shown me true, unconditional love and miracles!
I've seen my baby smile and known that there is peace, love, and joy in this world.

I have been the struggling young wife.
I've questioned myself and felt completely unsure of where I was and what I was doing.
I've loved and laughed and prayed and cried. I've screamed and ran away and come back.
I have caught a glimpse of my husband, not doing anything, just being...and I know this is where I am meant to be. Together, with him.

I've been the new homeowner.
The girl who sees all her dreams coming true. A home for her family. A place to raise our babies and be content with all the world. My place. Our place. Our refuge from the outside.
I've had that. and I've had it all taken away. Not over night.
No, over months and months, 2 years of fighting, trying, praying, crying. Overtime and long phone calls. Papers lost, checks un-mailed. Tears and trials. Questioning every choice. Questioning each other. I've been there.

I've been the girl having financial problems.
I've had almost nothing material, but so much love, support, and blessings.
I've had no heat but a warm body to lay with at night.
I've gone without but still had so very much to be thankful for.

I've been the dreamer.
The girl who still believes dreams come true.
I've seen those dreams. I have those too. The happy bride, the mother who smiles with her whole heart. The dreams of raising a family and celebrating anniversaries, birthdays, vacations, picnics and all the joys together.

I've been the lost girl.
I've been there too. Wide awake, seeing, hearing, doing, yet having no idea... how? why?
It's scary. Knowing you're there. Knowing you need to be there. For yourself, for someone who depends on you. Yet, your mind is a fog and you have no idea how you're going to get through it. It is thicker some days. You just stand. Stand. Hoping someone will guide you through to the other side, while standing your ground, SCREAMING, you don't need help!
I can do this!
Light up another cigarette, say a prayer, and just go. Do it. Get through this shit. Get over it and get on with it!This is where I've been!Who are you? Where have you been?

Friday, October 20, 2017

Are you ready for Halloween yet? We are finally getting there! Costumes have been bought and anticipation is mounting around here! Little E has really gotten into all things orange, black, fun, and creepy this year. Although, the final costume of her choice,(Finally!) is Pinkie Pie(My Little Pony).

We have still been busy working on so much with school. I'm still learning to be more organized and really keep files, check lists, and folders of what we have been doing. How well she did or how she struggled with something. We are still attempting to introduce one new letter each week(mostly capitol) but she really struggled with A and now she seems to be forgetting what she did so well on with the letter C. (I'll keep up with those and reintroducing through out the week)

This week we started letter T....

At first, I said "Oh, Ele. That is Momma's letter. My name is Trema." Then I said, "Like, train and tree."

I started thinking....oh crap, not TR, I need T, just T words....

I seriously laughed out loud at my caffeine induced mind that drew a complete blank as she sits at her little desk giving me this look! I swear her face was saying..."Do you know this letter at all Momma???"

I think I finally managed to come up with top and turtle...or something close to those.

I should her on her alphabet board which letter was T and had her repeat it and say the T sound(without the R after, LOL).

Then I had her do a tracing paper and tried to find words that begin with that sound in pictures.

She seemed to catch on pretty easily and the tracing went well.(across the top, not down the middle)...you get it.

Now our Halloween stuff...

I found some great Halloween printables(free). I printed off coloring pages, tracing sheets, match up games and a few other fun ones. She really needed practice with just basic control and following lines. I have been really getting on to her about holding her crayon or pencil correctly. She does great for a day or two and then goes back to what I call the "baby grab" sort of hold.

I am going to attempt to include the free printables I found. I have never added one to a blog post, so if it turns out horrible or won't load, I will also include links.

You can also, always check out our HOMESCHOOL/PRESCHOOL BOARD over on Pinterest, where I store all the great ideas and resources I come across! Be sure to follow so I can share more great finds with you!

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Have you seen all the gorgeous, glam, put together, stay at home Mommas out there just killing at...everything?
They have the perfect blogs! The latest hairstyles and wardrobes. They can whip out posts, never lacking in the latest trends, most educational toys on the market, healthiest recipes, and my favorites are the income report screen shots!
I'm not that Momma...yet!

I have been dabbling in blogging for over 6 years.
I have gotten more serious in the last 4 months.
My reality is...Blogging is tough!
It takes so much work. The learning never stops(if you're serious about blogging)
Everyday the terms, techniques, codes, what's popular, etc is changing!
I normally do a Wednesday WIP(work in progress) post. I seriously could do one on solely what I am working on blog related every single Wednesday. I am constantly finding some new aspect that I need to add, remove, tweak or work on within my blog.
But, I don't want to do that today. I don't want to get into each and every thing I have had to put in hours of research to get me where I am inside this blog.I really want to show you...
What my day actually looks like! How I actually manage to get one, one single post finished and hit that glorious publish button on a typical day as a SAHM!

My day typically starts around 6am.
D#3 can wake up anywhere between 4:45am and 7am...I never know.(seriously, the crickets could wake her or she'll sleep through a tornado drill)
D#2 pretty much gets herself up and dressed, lunch packed and heads out around 7:30am. On a good day I'm already logged on, checking social media, blog counts, news, etc and have a good couple cups of coffee in me.
Once, I've skimmed around and found or pinned 83 more crafts, recipes, or whatever bright and sparkly pin has caught my eye, I try to get the little to eat...something. We aren't huge breakfast people so if she eats a slice of cheese, a few grapes or drinks a Danimal, we are good for a bit.
Now, after we have scanned through Disney(nope still too early for tot cartoons), Nick jr(She doesn't like that show), PBS1, PBS2, and then go back to Disney jr(Yes, Sophia is on!), I jump back to the computer to remember where I left off.
Okay, so I've got this great post idea! My favorite Pinterest recipes! Now, I've only made 4 of these but I wanted a Top 5, sooo I have to find a simple one I can say is easy to make. Oh, now I never take pics of my food...isn't that odd? I'm not on Insta Gram, and I don't really have time to look at every single person's meals all day! (I think I ate a whole meal yesterday?) Oh, wait, no...yesterday I had half of D3's sandwhich and like 4 raisins...and my coffee.

Oh crap, yes. I forgot your cup of chocolate milk, hold on love. We can play outside when Momma is finished.

Ok, now Pixabay find me a great pic for my post/pin of recipes! OOHHH, that looks yum! Wow, I need food!
Sooo, 4,000 horizontal pics...and 6 vertical..Thanks. No repins on this post! Ugggh, and I already know editing it myself will only make it look Picaso-ish and odd.

I got to go pee.
Yes, you can come too D3.
Let me reheat my coffee and get you more cheese. okay, okay, grapes!

Should I put the pic at top, sub heading first, bold, larger font???
Now...content. I got this! I've been writing it in my head for a week!
......*crickets*
......
Wait, D3 "why did you dump out the make up bag?" " Is the mascara in your hair?"

Back at it!
I include the ones I've made, how easy, how good they turned out. How to omit or add to make it better or healthier.

I'm almost done here. I just need to wrap up how I found all these and add in all the links back to these recipes!
I need to give credit to these great chefs!
Okay, there. Good. Read over, re read.
Everything looks great, pics aligned, sized properly.
Good, solid, long enough post.Publish!
Hooray! Success before lunch time!

Let me just share it on FB, Twitter, and Bloglovin'...Almost there!
CRAP!!! I forgot to add my labels!And, THAT...is how I get my blog posts up!

This is the real me:

(messy bun up and coffee in hand!)

No Glam!

I seriously hope I haven't bored or scared away any potential readers!
I am always trying to learn and improve!
Sadly, this is my reality. This is a typical day of me trying to get a post out there for y'all.
I do enjoy my blogging life and this is just one day. One Momma really doing this blog thing!
I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday and share your typical "blogging day".

Monday, October 16, 2017

The one that follows the loooong weekend where you were constantly on the go and yet, here we are, Monday morning feeling as if nothing has gotten done. Not one productive thing was accomplished all weekend.

My "quote" for today is....

"Put your hair up in a bun, drink some coffee and handle it!"

I have no idea who coined this phrase, but I'm going to make a safe bet that it is an overwhelmed, over worked, over... or under caffeinated, under paid, under appreciated, and sleep deprived Momma!

Today, I am that Momma!

I had such a great weekend filled with fun, family, softball, pumpkin festival, great food, and just all around goodness. We definitely kept busy and enjoyed the glorious weather we had! With all the running around and fun packed days, there comes the Mondays that you want to do absolutely nothing.We need a day to rest and recoup. We rarely get those days, do we?

Some how, someway(with coffee and a prayer), we just keep going. We have littles to tend to, chores to be done. If we are super lucky, there may be a shower and an actual fresh, hot cup of coffee. Not the stale mug of tar and scalded milk that has been reheated 4 times and still sits in the microwave waiting to be remembered.

Someday Momma...someday!

When they don't need us to be up with them...and the roosters.

When we aren't rushing to fill those demanding schedules.

When we can actually match those schedules with the coffee pot timer.

When our mornings are calm and quiet. That is when our coffee won't seem so important or so sweet.

I won't say there will be a day that I won't need that coffee, but I won't rush to the days it is easier to enjoy it. I love my crazy, chaotic, zombie mom mornings. The ones where I know I am needed. I am loved and welcomed. I will treasure those days as I wander through the house picking up dirty socks while trying not to spill my cold coffee on the floor I already forgot to mop!

For today I am "CoffeeWastedMomma"!

I will be for more days to come and I will treasure them. With my hair wadded up in a bun, while I handle it!

Friday, October 13, 2017

Here in Ohio, we are starting to wake up to those cool, crisp mornings. The sun is rising a little later each day and the leaves are starting to change colors and fall in the breezes.

I am finally starting to take advantage of these days and really get into our Fall theme. I want to soak up as many days outdoors teaching Little E as much as I can before the frost and days of too cold weather come. It is such a beautiful time of year. Even if it only makes me want to hold on to those lazy summer nights a little tighter.

All the letter "A"s...

We are finishing up our letter A week. I have been trying to think of as many "A" words that I can to teach her while we are out and about. Apple, Acorn, Airplane, Ants...

I found a wonderful alphabet puzzle at the Dollar Tree. It is super colorful and has nice, big letters that are easy to recognize! We have a printed off sheet with the alphabet and we used that to compare and match the letters. She did so great with this. I mixed up all the pieces and had her search for each letter/puzzle piece in order. The pieces are different colors, so if she seemed to get stuck or struggle finding the correct letter, I would give her a "hint"...like "The piece you need is a purple piece."(there are about 5 of each color) so maybe only A, M, R, V ,Z would be purple.

Scavenger hunt and nature...

Last weekend we spent the day at Papaw's and took advantage of the 734 ton of trees and fallen leaves on his acre backyard. The girls ran around around rolled in the leaves all afternoon. They gathered leaves and tried to find as many different ones they could. We found big, small, red, orange, green, skinny, fat, round and pointy ones!

It is designed for smaller children. I think we found everything except the "green beetle" that Little E kept insisting we needed to locate!

(It was an image(artwork) on the page, not on the actual list. LOL)

Graham Cracker Haunted House...

We also made our very own "haunted house". I can't talk about this enough! We went over each color and we did work out a pattern with our candy corns. She counted each candy chip as we placed them on her little house and talked about the different shapes we needed to build our house. There were so many fun ways to work in a lot of learning into this project. And, it was fun! You can see more about that over here >>>DIY Haunted House

Her houses turned out much more appealing than ours but that's fine with me.

Sometimes it's the process not the end result.

Little E was totally into this project from the beginning and well,....so was I.

We made a few changes and made it our own. Which, I believe is the whole point in this. You can take the basics and make it anyway you'd like. Each one is different.

Our Haunted House!

What we used:

Graham Crackers(any brand)

Chocolate frosting

Orange frosting(bottle type)

Variety of candies(we had Reese's pieces, sprinkles, and candy corns)

Base, board, or plate(something to build on)

Zip lock bag or piping bag

We started with parchment paper to cover our cardboard base. I had her help me hold the sides and I piped the chocolate frosting to get the walls to "stick". This does take the finesse of pressing hard enough, and long enough for it to grip but, not so hard that you crush and collapse your crackers! It is a trained skill. LOL

Once we got the four sides on, the roof just kind of sat on top. I did try to pipe some frosting along the eaves to get the effect of it being attached.

After that it was pretty much sprinkle, candy and frosting mayhem!

We had a blast and it was quite sweet! Literally!

Luckily, this entire project is completely EDIBLE! I know, I know! Bonus!

I love finding these cute, little, quick craft ideas! There are so many fun ways to spend time together and maybe even learn a new craft. I love learning new things and hope to teach my littles to love learning. Even, just making a graham cracker haunted house!

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Wowza Wednesday, Whoa Wednesday, Wacky Wednesday...
I seriously could think of at least five more names for these posts.
Somehow, I don't think just WIP(Work in Progress) is cutting it anymore. Why are my Wednesdays so crazy, chaotic?(I'm on my second pot of coffee)
Maybe, this post, blog day theme, meme, follow up, needs a new name...
I'll worry about it later!

On to more important business!

This week I have really been trying to get so much together!
I've been working on homeschool stuff, blogging, crocheting projects for the craft show(less than 4 weeks away!!!), and trying to miserably finish the book I'm stuck on! I would like to get one review done this month over on:A Novel Experience

Homeschool Business:
Little E has been painting up a mess of wonderful Fall pictures. We've been doing so much with her alphabet, numbers, and some fun learning games(more of this on Friday's post)!

Blogging Business:
I have been researching and working super hard on my Blog! I have found some wonderful ladies to help answer my never ending questions!...There will be more!Super awesome shout outs to:

I have joined a ton of FB groups and even came across a great follow up to join in on! Michele over at:Confessions of Parenting is hosting a link up party, Wandering Wednesday! It is such a great way to not only get your name linked up, but also to meet other great bloggers. Everyone loves to get love! Make sure you stop by!

Crochet Business:
I have been crocheting so much my hands are starting to cramp up!
I'm seriously down to crunch time people! I have made so many hats, headwraps, and boot cuffs!
Luckily, I enjoy it so much, and it usually is relaxing. I can just curl up and work on something while Little E watches a movie or plays at my feet.
Since I need a visual for this post:

Here are a few things I have been working on! I'm also thinking about hoping to get a real Facebook page up and running. I need to combine my blog and my crafts. The one I currently have started out just for crochet projects, but it is becoming too much to handle all the different pages for each aspect.

Monday, October 9, 2017

Happy Monday Y'all!
Today's quote is brought to you by thoughts on how I continually self sabotage.

" Don't wait for everything to be perfect before you decide to enjoy life"

Joyce Meyer

I am a "waiter"...

I admit, not proudly that I live with a lot of fears and phobias.

I find that I am continuously waiting...

Waiting until we have more money.

Waiting until we can all go together(vacations, adventures, outings)

Waiting until the weather is warmer, better

Waiting until the school year is over

Waiting until the kids are older

Waiting until we have all we will need

Waiting until we are more prepared

I'm not even sure how or why I became this way.

I can't pinpoint any one event or memory that gave me such fear of just...doing.

I can honestly say that this has given me a lot of disappointments and missed opportunities.

I hate that. I hate that I do it to myself, over and over.

It is a sad thing to live in fear of so much.

Failure, disappointments, missing out.

It is definitely something that I have to pray about and continue to work on daily.

I thank God daily for my loving and understanding husband, who comforts me and continuously pulls me out of my comfort zone. He has faith in me and encourages me to do more, be more than I ever would on my own.

I hope that our children see this and learn to enjoy their lives without waiting for things to be perfect.

To enjoy life without the fear and instead live in faith.

Our God is so awesome and He truly gives us the people we need in our lives.

I truly believe we, as humans are made and given to each other for a greater purpose.

To make each other better and to make our lives a blessing to others.

My days will never be perfect, but I am trying to find something perfect in every day.

I'm tired of waiting. I have hopes and dreams and adventures still to take.

I am learning from other homeschooling mommas that this helps with pencil control.

Little E had been having such a struggle with holding the pencil or even markers correctly. I finally remembered to buy a pack of the "fat crayons" and they seem to be helping...So much!

She definitely has more control and can press harder...like, enough to actually see what she is drawing or writing!

She has more confidence now that we can see her work and she can stay on the lines so much better!

Counting 1-10(or 12)...

Little E can can count to 10 all by herself. Some days she can get to 12, but sometimes after ten, it is 15 or 7...

We have gotten in the habit of counting everything! We count going up and down the stairs...which is like 100 times a day! We count our food! grapes, crackers, popcorn... We count while she is on the potty. LOL Seriously, it works! Whenever, wherever...WE COUNT!

Next week, I am hoping to work more with her flash cards to start identifying numbers.

slowly begin to "work" mixture with hands until cornstarch dissolves and mixture becomes..."slime"

Sounds pretty easy, right???

This has got to be in the top 10 of grossest, weirdest things I have ever put my hands into.

Seriously...I'm a Momma. I have kneaded bread, made meatloaf, touched poop, vomit, dirt and a few un-identifiable substances!

This was worse!

I have NO idea, WHAT we made!

It was not slime!

It kind of had the texture of chewed gum you'd find in your kid's pocket after the wash but before it has been heated and dried. Add in a little grit from the dirt and lint that is now wrapped up and became a part of it.

One more close up pic....

Now...On to recipe #2!

Or as I like to think...almost slime.

Slime with Epsom salt and Glue

4Tsp Epsom salt

4Tsp warm water

(combine)

in a separate bowl

8Tbs Elmer's glue

food coloring(2 drops)

combine and add to Epsom salt mixture

Again, work mixture together with hands until "slime" is made

Now, This one started out great! We thought we had finally gotten it! Real slime!

We has all the ingredients.

We had done everything just like it said.

And the "slime" was actually starting to form and feel like slime!!

Although there seemed to be a ton of extra "blue water" that the glue just wouldn't soak up. No matter how much we dipped and tried to work it into our slime.

I let Little E give it a try...

She LOVED it....for about two minutes!

And then, I don't know if it was the air or just that we didn't get all that water absorbed but it started to harden.Like first into a putty texture, then a dry playdough...then just a big, dry, gritty blob...

This is me

. I'm a stay at(never) home, girl raising, soccer, girl scout, volleyball, softball, preschooling, etc, etc MOM. I am a frugal country girl at heart stuck in suburbia. I love to read, cook, do crafts, crochet and chat. I hope, I dream, I pray... I live and then I write about it. Enjoy!

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